In MMD Digest 020202 Lelland Fletcher asked for more info about a barrel
piano with the name "Pierre Van Roy" on it. Those who know the history
of the museum at Utrecht will certainly know this name, for it was Van
Roy who sold the magnificent "Aalster Gavioli" and the Philipps Paganini
to the museum.

Pierre (officially Petrus) Van Roy was born at Brussels in 1888.
Initially, he worked at the car company D'Ieteren (which is still active
today) where he polished the bodywork of the cars. Then he worked
for François Lecour at Schaarbeek, a firm that manufactured roll-operated
orchestrions. He went to Paris for some time (where he worked for
Gavioli) but he returned to Belgium in 1911 to marry Désiré
Goethals, the daughter of an organ renter at Aalst.

In 1914, he and his wife return to Schaarbeek where he starts working
at the famous firm of Joseph Tullio at the Rue Brichaut. Soon he
becomes the 'chef d'atelier' of the firm, where mainly barrel pianos and
orchestrions are manufactured. (See the picture: Van Roy is the man
standing at the left side.)

In 1916 or 1917 Van Roy starts his own shop at the Rue des Goujons at
Anderlecht, where he specializes in barrel pianos. Most of his clients
come from Aalst, and during the 1920s he rents and sells several instruments
(and also organs) to dance hall and café owners at Aalst.

To avoid travelling too much, he decides to return to Aalst in 1927,
at the Meuleschettestraat 12. His son-in-law Alexander Cornand (Cornant?)
arranges most of the music. But with the demise of mechanical music,
Van Roy starts to specialize in 'normal' pianos and tuning of instruments.
He dies at Aalst in 1963.

Attached is another picture of Pierre Van Roy and also a barrel piano
(manufacturer unknown) as an illustration to the information about the
barrel piano by Mazzoletti.